Battle of Coruscant
by NewWorldFiction
Summary: The Pillar of Autumn has escaped Reach, but this time there're not going to be find a halo ring, but the very heart of the Republic. One shot. Mild cursing.


**The Battle of Coruscant**

**By NewWorldFiction**

**A one shot**

In the inky night of space a unusual spiral of blue-violet light sprang forth which spiraled into a perfect circle. Suddenly a inorganic vessel shot out of the rip in space. And quickly as the strange hole appeared, it dissipated and closed into itself, the soon to be gone ship the only sign that it had ever existed.

Captain Keyes had just escaped the destruction of Reach on aboard the Pillar of Autumn. Following the Cole Protocol, he had ordered a series of random slip space jumps and now they just exited slip space. Most cameras and communications arrays were down, and a numerous amounts of sensors were offline.

"Cortana... All I need to know is did we lose them."

"I think we both know the answer to that."

Captain Keyes sighed as he gazed out to the bright star of the solar system they were in. "We made a blind jump. How did they-"

Cortana cut him off, "Get here first? The Covenant ships have always been faster. As for tracking us all the way from Reach? At light speed my maneuvering options were limited."

"We were running dark, yes?"

"Until we decelerated. No one could have missed the hole we tore in subspace. They were waiting for us to exit Slipspace."

"So where do we stand?"

"Our fighters are... Wait..."

"What is Cortana?"

"Long range sensors have come online and detecting something."

"Covenant?"

"No. Unknown signatures that down apply to Covenant of UNSC vessels."

"Can we get a signal out?"

"No. Long range communications are down. The close we could do at that range is set a beacon."

"...do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, were out gunned Cortana and this looks like to he our final shot. Oh and Cortana, let's give a warm welcome to our old friends."

The AI smirked, "I've already begun."

* * *

Admiral Yularen gazed out into space from the bridge. Long range sensors had detected multiple anomalies in the outer space of Coruscant's solar system shortly before his fleet was going to make a hyperspace jump to a known CIS controlled world. His fleet consisted of nearly a hundred ships. If these anomalies were any CIS vessels, he'd be able to hold his own.

"Sir," a bridge communications officer said, "We've detected a signal. A beacon sir."

"Most likely a trap." One of the other officers said.

"Possibility." Yularen replied, "I want shields online and Turbo lasers ready to fire. Make way to the source."

"Sir, yes sir."

* * *

Within the hanger of the _Pillar of Autumn _Avery Johnson is walking down the lines of soldiers under his command. "Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. Now were alone and far from any allies. But were Marines! And we don't need anyone to help us from those scum bags. They want us dead, Marines but we won't let them have that! What we will let 'em have is a belly full of lead, and a pool of their own blood to drown in! Am I right, Marines?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The Marines voiced together.

"Damn right I am! Now move it double time!"

* * *

The Spartan know as John-117 woke up from his Cryo to the sight of two engineers. The steam from the Cryo pod swayed around him as be got out. From the shuddering of the ship he knew something was wrong.

"Time to get up spartan." They said with a awe ridden voice, "Captain wants you on the bridge."

* * *

The battle wasn't going very well. Captain Keyes looked out at the mess of a bridge he had. Unlike previous encounters the Covenant were attacking and disabling turrets in a hope to board his ship, and so far they were succeeding. They were being swarmed by dozens of CCS Covenant battle ships. However the good news was that since the Covenant wanted the ship intact, which had allowed him to take out 4 Covenant ships so far.

"Sir." A voice spoke behind the Captain.

Turning around Keyes saw the 7 foot Spartan standing before him, "Master Chief, good to have you awake." Keyes sighed, "The Covenant are boarding the ship spartan and we have no where to run."

The bridge shuddered. Suddenly the AI Cortana appeared on the command console. "We've just lost the MAC cannon."

"Shit! That was our last defense!"

"Sir!" A communications officer yelled, "I'm detecting a Unknown signature! Were receiving a transmission!"

Keyes spun around and ran over to the view screen. "Open communications now! Chief get to the Hanger and hold it! We've haven't launched all our fighters yet!"

"Sir, yes sir!" The Spartan replied as he took off.

"Opening communications!"

The view screen suddenly came a live to a... Human.

"Huh." Captain Keyes said.

_"I am Admiral Yularon of the Grand Republic, contacting all ships."_

As Keyes fixed his composure he was about to speak before getting cut off by the signature words of the Covenant. _"Your destruction is the will of the gods. And we are their instruments!"_

_"Multiple CCS Battleships have broken off from the main fleet and are engaging the new contacts!" _A officer yelled as the bridge of the other human vessel ignited in alarms.

Captain Keyes immediately began, "I am Captain Jacob Keyes of the UNSC and request dire assistance Admiral! I hope we can speak after this battle! Ensign Henry! Set course for the new contacts!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

* * *

The Admiral was completely un prepared for discovering a battle going on between two unheard of factions so close to the heart of the Republic, but none the less he was ready for a battle.

"Sir multiple hostile ships on a intercept course! 5 million kilometers!"

"Enter attack formations alpha-" the Admiral was cut off as the bridge immediately filled with panic voices.

"Sir enemy energy spike! Anomalies detected!"

"Sir anomalies detected on the port side of the fleet!"

"Far range enemy signatures have disappeared! Signature have reappeared off the port side of the fleet!"

"They have a in system FTL drive!"

"Enemy energy spikes!"

"Enemies are firing!"

From the bridge the Admiral could see a dozen sleek violet ships each easily the size of a star destroyer, firing several blasts of high concentrated plasma. Each and every streak effortlessly crossed the distance between the two fleets and collided with a dozen republic ships. Each and every one the pride of the fleet and a symbol of power. But they were not strong enough as the plasma quickly boiled away the ship shields and the once formidable vessels were reduced to fiery metal corpses.

The bridge became awfully silent. Just like that, the admiral had lost little more then a tenth of his fleet.

"Return Fire!" The admiral screamed.

All the ships within the republic fleet complied and released a deadly barrage of lasers onto the enemy fleet. But they had fired too late as the Covenant accepted the fact that they were outnumbered and quickly made another in system jump a hundred dozen kilometers behind the fleet.

"Kriff! Make way to the friendly human vessel! Cover him. Set Turbo turrets for 360 degrees cover!"

* * *

Anakin's eyes opened when he felt the death of thousands ripple through the force. He looked to his side and saw that his Apprentice Ahsoka and his Master Obi-wan do the same.

"We need to get to the bridge." Anakin said

"Indeed." Obi wan agreed as they got up and sped off to the bridge.

* * *

John ducked as several streaks of plasma flew over head and collided with a nearby marine.

"Holy shit!" Screamed a marine, "They killed Jimmy! Those fucking alien bastards!"

"Keep it together Private!" Yelled Sergeant Avery Johnson, "I've just got word from Command that human friendlies are coming to assist and will be dropping off some troopers. So get ready for some alien Massacre!"

"Hurrah!" Screamed a trio of marines.

"Sergeant!" John commanded, "get your marines to fall back to entrance of the hanger! We'll bottleneck them!"

"Sir, Yes sir! Come on marines! You heard the Spartan! Let's make this turkey shooting to our favor!"

* * *

Anakin sat within his fighter dodging the rays of plasma the Covenant were releasing upon the Republic fighters. Once he and his fellow Jedi made it to the bridge, They were deployed to assist the UNSC vessel against Covenant boarding parties.

_"Kilo three to Commander Anakin, we've just lost three of our LAAT/i's, we can't hold on much longer without fighter support. These alien fighters are holding back ours!" _Anakin's radio crackled alive, panic in the trooper's voice.

"Hold it together soldier! Were only three kilometers out from the ship!"

_"I'm try- Agh!" _The solider's scream was heard through Anakin's headset before it was cut off by static.

"Kriff! Ashoka status on your assault group!"

_"They're everywhere Master! I've just just lost five of my LAAT/i's!"_

_"Anakin!" _Obi-wan's voice popped up, _"we need to hold onto our course and Combine our assault group! The UNSC vessel won't have the time to wait for us to get there with us falling back!"_

"This is commander Anakin to all Assault groups! Form up on me!"

* * *

When John was told that they had Unknown human allies coming he figured a unorganized group of Insurrectionists, not a swarm of white clad troopers emerging from several dozen of transports that barely made it into the Hanger.

Organized and well trained, the Spartan saw the various of troopers working together to bring down the Covenant menace. Their weaponry was too plasma based but much less brutal then the Covenant's... But not little as effective as the Covenant's. Elites shields were dropping like flys and the dozens of Covenant soldiers were scrambling to fight the new allies.

"Sergeant! Hold this point! I'm going in!" Yelled the Spartan and he took off into the hanger.

* * *

Anakin had just dismounted from his fighter in the UNSC hanger and was about to begin fighting when he stumbled in awe of the fight he saw before him. The clone troopers were faring well but once the aliens regained their bearings, the clones began to take heavy casualties. Well at least in till the massive armored soldier jumped into the fight.

He was as agile and fast as a Jedi, but deadly as a Sith. Yet Anakin felt to emotion from the solider. He was indeed alive and not a robot, yet he gave off no fear or anger.

It took a moment for Anakin to nudge off his shock and leapt into the fight.

* * *

Covenant bodies littered the floor of the Hanger, but so were the Republic's troopers and the UNSC Marines and ODSTs that faithfully defended the ship.

As for Anakin, he was standing before the hulking figure of the Spartan.

"Um, hello?"

"Are you the commanding officer of this battle group?" Was the the response. John was use to the stares and fear he caused so he had decided to just get to business.

"Of this platoon, yes."

"Then follow me."

* * *

Captain Keyes was very weary of the Republic Commander beside him, but for the sake of the UNSC and humanity he stood before him. So far, they had driven the Covenant from the Pillar of Autumn, but now the remaining Covenant forces were engaged just outside of the orbital defenses of Coruscant.

"Anakin I believe your name is?" Captain Keyes said as he gazed out into the battle that was taking place above Coruscant skies.

"Yes sir." The Jedi said, shivering as the Spartan, he was told, hovers behind him.

"Alright. So far your Republic's forces has driven the Covenant forces from us but not from your world."

"They won't get past Coruscant's defenses Captain." Anakin assured. The Covenant ships may have proven themselves to be deadly but they were extremely outnumbered to the Republic forces.

"For your sake, I hope so." The Captain sighed. As much as his ship was ruined, he wished to be fighting the remaining Covenant ships.

"And why is that Captain." Anakin questioned.

"If one of those ships bypass your defenses, it could easily wipe out a entire continent before you could take it down. After all, Covenant ships are very effective in atmosphere."

"How is that possible?"

"I'll explain- Shit!" The Captain yelled as four remaining Covenant ships fired their toward the planet before jumping into Slipspace.

"Sir! We've receiving a transmission form the Republic Flagship Resolute!" Said a ensign.

"Open communications."

_"Captain Keyes."_ Admiral Yularen said. His eyes were filled with anger. A anger not directed toward the Keyes but for what the Covenant had just done.

"Admiral Yularen..."

_"I have come to inform you that several Covenant ships have left the system and that you've been invited to the Senate house to inform the Republic of this new enemy and your UNSC. I suggest you come very fast. A lot of people just died now."_

"Give me coordinates and I'll be their shortly.

* * *

The senate building was a amazing construct for such a large gathering. However usually the building was in a state of serenity of a busy hustle. Meeting usually came ready and prepared; Dates set for ambassadors and senators. But this time, there was no room for that as the horizon was burning with flames.

Jacob Keyes stood before hundreds of alien races the UNSC had never encountered and not once in his m of wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be the one to hopefully sway a alien civilization to aid the UNSC a against the Covenant.

"Senators and citizens of the Republic. The People of all of your great civilizations and this united Grand Republic. I am Captain Jacob Keyes of the UNSC and the Pillar of Autumn and for decades my people, under the united banner of the United Earth Government and the United Nations Space Command, have battled a alien enemy we do not understand."

Looking to his side he nodded to Cortana and have her the signal. The hologram that was used for visuals in the senate house came alive and gave a sight no one within he Republic had seen before. A world of glass and apocalyptic flame. Anakin suddenly felt sick. Was this what Captain Keyes meant by if a single Covenant ship bypassed the orbital defenses.

"Ever since first contact with the Covenant, unprovoked, they brought our civilization to its knees. For three decades the Covenant have waged genocide amongst humanity, burning hundreds of our worlds in till it they are nothing but glass. In till every man, women, and child were dead."

Keyes allowed the senate fall silent to his speech as they gawked at the dozens of burned worlds that appeared on the senate hologram.

"A single Covenant ship could do this, and as it has been done before." Keyes pointed out to the hologram.

"Technology advanced, greater in numbers, and religiously inspired, nothing has stopped the Covenant from destroying our people. And after human strongholds after another fell to the Covenant, we were pushed further inward. Further to our home world: Earth."

"But there were times in which we stood up and fought, holding a world or two. At least for a month to say."

"On the colony world of Actium, Colonel Acona Mentios of the 53rd armored division stood before the 12000 men and women of the UNSC and told them this, 'Let no one here question our place in human history, that we are here right now is not coincidence or accident, it is our fate. And this war, our birth right, our legacy. Our generation was born to fight the Covenant and you my fellow soldiers were born for this very day. Today our enemy will hear the roar of humanity and they will fear us.' Although Actium would fall less then a month later the Colonel would leans UNSC forces deep into enemy territory, and they with the aid of a pair of tactical nukes would wipe out 3 of the largest Covenant staging areas in recorded history. There would be no survivors of the 53rd armored division but one thing was certain: the Covenant saw first hand the capacity of human courage and our unwillingness to accept defeat."

Keyes continued.

"On a world that I have long since forgotten the name of, High Admiral Preston J Cole gave his own life and crew, and ignited a nearby gas giant destroying him and the largest Covenant fleet at the time."

"When the Covenant came Planet-side, the man and women if the UNSC fought valiantly, laying down there lives for every inch of dirt we could keep."

"The Spartans, super humans and the only thing that stands between the Covenant and our imminent destruction, single handily have destroyed entire Covenant fleets and armies."

"But the loses out weigh our victories."

"we've lost loved ones, fleets, and entire worlds. To think there was once a time of peace is almost unimaginable. But we were courageous; we fought back. In our battle for humanity we have lost so much, but we've been given heroes - heroes who fought tirelessly to defend us: at Harvest; at Actium... Brave soldiers who sacrificed everything to defend our homes from the Covenant. They didn't fight for glory. Nonetheless, it's there for all to see."

Keyes stopped and around the severity of the situation sink in.

"In war... The first thing lost is time. The hours become days. The days, years. And the years turn into decades. Some of us can't remember a time before the Covenant. War is all we know." Keyes gazed across the senate house, each and every senator felt that his eyes bore into there souls.

"Countless men and women of the UNSC have fought and died to secure our species survival. Hoping to give our home world more time in order to secure our survival."

"Now Reach has fallen. A fortress world resting upon the doorsteps of Earth."

"And now, I stand before you not asking but begging for your aid as hundreds of our worlds have been destroyed, hundreds of billions murdered."

"So before I go, think of this: will you stand idly while more lives are lost? While hundreds of billions more innocent people are killed in cold blood? Think of our actions as you will, but understand this: the Covenant will stop at nothing in till every human is wiped off the face of the Galaxy."

* * *

The Senate was a mess after the Captain's speech. Some argued not to fight the Covenant, and that the UNSC's extermination was what they deserved from not being apart of the Galactic Republic. But those ideas were squashed when Keyes gave evidence and historical information that showed that the UNSC had never known of the republic and anything attacked to it.

Others debated that since the Covenant posed a threat to all of humanity, a race living on nearly very Republic world, the Aliens would attack the Republic too.

And a majority said that due to the Covenant attack on Republic vessels and on the billions of innocent civilians, they were already at war.

But it was already decided amongst the Hearts and minds of the Republic.

So when the battle of Earth came. When the Covenant appeared in the Sol system, a mass of Republic ships would arrive too with the _Pillar of Autumn a_t their lead.


End file.
